A Minnesota teenager who was last seen on May 8 has been found dead
Human remains found in a landfill over the weekend have been identified as Jordan “Manny” Collins Jr., 16, police announced at a press conference on July 1
Authorities have indicated it’s a homicide investigation but have not named any suspects
The remains of a Minnesota teenager who vanished in May have been found, authorities said, bringing a tragic end to a weeks-long search.
Jordan “Manny” Collins Jr., 16, was last seen on May 8 in Columbia Heights, Minn., and reported missing on May 12, Columbia Heights Police Chief Matt Markham said at a press conference on Tuesday, July 1.
Over the weekend, investigators found human remains at the Waste Management Landfill in Elk River, Minn., which have now been positively identified as Collins, the chief announced. Markham said authorities have been searching the landfill since June 4. The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the cause of death.
“I think the fact that a four-week search of the landfill illustrates pretty clearly the tenacity of law enforcement in bringing justice,” Anoka County Sheriff Sheriff Brad Wise said at the press conference. “This is a complex investigation.”
Wise said that investigators obtained a “video that showed some evidence that would suggest the body might have made its way into a dumpster and into a garbage truck.”
Authorities have indicated the matter is being investigated as a homicide, but have not named any suspects.
“Well, a dead body wound up in a landfill, so I guess draw your own conclusion, yes,” Wise told reporters.
Collins’ mother, Ashley Berry, spoke with KARE 11 before he was confirmed to be dead, telling the news station, “He’s a really good kid, and anybody who’s crossed paths with him knows that he has an old soul.”
A GoFundMe campaign created by Berry to help her with basic expenses had raised more than $8,000 as of July 1.
“Since that day, my life has been turned upside down,” she wrote on the fundraising page. “Every moment of every day has been focused on finding him — talking to authorities, sharing his story, posting flyers, and following every lead possible.”
